Car-door-operating mechanism.



RUNNER CAR DOOR- OPE'RAT EG MEGEANISM. PIL 121.29, 1912.'

APPLICATION 2 SEEETB-SHEET l.

G.G.GHEBBONNIER.

GAB DOOR OPERATING HBOHANIBI.

APPLIOATIOI FILED JAI. 29. 1912. y

Patented Max'. 4, 1913.

IN VEN TOE MTA/6555 772- wyww. Ganges c. cHafrao/w/exf `STATES PATENT oEEioE.

GEORGE C. OHEBBONNIER, OF FERGUSON, *MISSOUBL ASSIGNOB T0 AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY (IOlllEAITY, OE- ST. LOUIS, vMISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. y

CAR-DOOB-O-PERATNG MECHANISM.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

Application led January 29,' 1912. Serial No. 674,068.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGEC. CHanoN- NIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ferguson, St. Louis county, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Door-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a fragniental plan view of the underframing of a car showing my improved door operating mechanism mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a fragmental vertical section View through t-he car illustrating my improved door operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in a changed position. Fi". 4 is a longitudinal vertical section view tirough a fragmental ortion of the car illustrating part of my improved door operating mec anism. Fig. 5 is a detailed view illustrating part of the door operating mechanism. Fig. G is a plan view of the parts of the mechanism seen in Fig. 5.

This invention relates to a new and useful operating mechanism designed particularly for use in connection with the doors of hopper bottoni cars and which doors are equipped with a mechanism employing levers commonly known as jack-knife levers.

The princi al object of my invention is to simultaneousy actuate both doors from a single shaft that can be operated from either side of the car and the o rating mechanism serves as a lock to hold t e doors in their closed position. The doors are pivotally swung from opposite sides of the car and are designed to close against each other at their free edges, thus dispensing vwith the use of a frame member in the hopper whereby a clear opening is provided for the discharge of the loa As shown in Fig. l the center sill members of the underframing are interrupted by the hopper opening, said Vmembers terminating'at the end-.walls of the hopper, thus permitting the contents to be discharged through the hopper opening without interference. This 1s of special advantage' in cars loaded with ore,coal,etc.,.where the contents are apt to freeze in winter due to rain or snow percolating therethrough.

In the drawings 1 indicates the intermediate sills of the underframe and 2 the side sills, which side and intermediate sills 1 are connected by means of diaphragms 3.

4 are inclined side sheets of the car which are connected by bracket 5 and angle sheets 6 to the intermediate sills 1.

7 are the draft sills which are supported at their inner ends by cross bearing members connected to the side sills.

8 indicates the end walls of the hopper which are located adjacent the inner ends of the draft sills.

9 is a hinge bracket riveted to the intermediate sills to which are hinged the outer ends of the ho per doors 10. The inner edges of these dpoors are preferably anged downwardly as shown and are designed to close against each other and be locked in such closed position. 11 indicates a Zshaped reinforcing member secured to each door near its closing edge and 12 are strengthening members attached to the door and to said Z-shaped reinforcing members.

Suitable bearings are secured to the edges of one of the doors in which is mounte a .shaft 13, said shaft extending beyond the door at each end and rovided with a chain wheel 14. On this ciain wheel 14 is sccured a chain 15 by means of a suitable bolt or fastening device shown, said chain passing upwardly and being wound around a shaft 16 extending from side to side of the car with hand wheels 17 at each end. Near one of the draft sills, this shaft is provided with a ratchet 18 with which co crates a pawl 19, said pawl being mount upon a rod 2O extending from side to side of the car and having weighted handles 21, whereby the pawl is normally held by the gravit-y of these handles in operative relation to the ratchet wheel.

rock arm 22 will be carried with it. This rock arm is preferabl formed in a single piece and comprisesl a eadprovided'with a, orarmsbetween the free ,e'ndsl nected 'at its 'opposite end to the freeledge of the opposite. door as design'atedib'yy24.'

The link 23 is referably bent as shown 'so that when the Idoors. are closed the line of centers of the toggle comprising the ivotal points'of the roet arm 22 anda the mk 23 will be past dead centers as it is called so as to lock the doors in their closed position.

25 indicates a lever pivoted at 27 and having an extension arranged under the end of the lever 22 in its closed position, said lever 22 being provided with a projection 22l to prevent the lever 25 from slipping out of osition. This lever 25 is connected by a ciiain 26 to the pawl operating rod 2O so that as this rod is operated to release the ratchet wheel 18, the chain 26 will be slightly wound on the rod 2O lifting the lever 25 and elevating the rock arm 22 so as to break the dead centers of the toggle and permit the doors to swing downwar ly by gravity.

The open position of the doors is shown in Fig. 3 and, if desired, the pin 23l which forms the pivotal connection between the rock arm 22 and the link 23 may be extended so as to catch the chain as the doors move to their open position, or said pin may be shortened, if desired, in which event the chain will extend from the chain wheel 14 direct to its winding shaft 16. (See dotted line a Fig. 3.) To close the doors one of the hand wheels 17 is rotated so as to wind the chain 15 on the shaft 16, this winding action rotatinfr the chain wheel 14 and swinging the roel: `arm 22 about the pivot 23l as the door rises until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 2. In this movement of the rock arm`22, the link 23 bein connected thereto, will move the companion door to its closed position and when'the doors are closed, the pin 23* will drop ast the -line of centers of the shaft 13 and) the pivotal point 2-1 of the link 23 so as to lock the doors closed. In their movement, the rock arm 22 and the link 23 connected thereto will swing over the lower end of the initial releasing lever 25 and engage it With the projection 22. i

It will be readily understood that the jack knife levers 22 and 23'are arranged at each end of the ho per, being connected and operated by the s aft 13 which extends throughout the length of the ldoor on which it is mounted, but my improved operating -mechanism comprising .ther.sheave, or chain wheel 14,' the vwindino` chain, the ,hand

wheels and .release mec anism vis arranged at one end lonly of said hopper. Hence the door-operating mechanism at each end of `Vthe car can be operated by one man.

It Will'be rea ily understood that minor `changes in the size, form and construction lof the various parts of my improved car door operating mechanismcan be made and lsubstituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with oppositely moving doors for closing the opening in a hopper car, of door-operatin mechanism in cludin a pair of jack knie levers connected to )oth of the doors for locking them in their closed position and means for swinging the levers to open the doors, and means including a lever ada )ted to engage against the connected ends oi the jack knife levers for initially moving said jack knife levers from their locked position prior to the operation of the means for swinging the levers to open the doors.

2. The combination of a pair of doors for closing the opening of a hopper bottom car, means arranged at the ends of said doors and connected to each of them for locking them in their closed position, a winding shaft, a flexible connection between said shaft and said doors whereby said doors are moved to their closed position and locked, and lneans independent of said winding shaft for initially operating said doors in their opening movement.

3. In a car door operating mecl1anism,tl1e combination of a pivoted door, a shaft. carried at the free edge of said door, a chain wheel on said shaft, a chain connected to said wheel, a winding shaft for said chain, means for preventing retrograde movement of said winding shaft, a rock arm movable with said chain wheel and a link coperating with the outer end of said rock arm.

4. In a car door operating mechanism, the combination of a pivoted door, a rock arm mounted near the free edge of said door, and means for operating said rock arm, a link connected to the outer end of said rock arm and a companion door to which the opposite end of said link is connected` and separately operable means for operating the outer end of said rock arm to initially move the doors to their open position.

5. In a car door operating mechanism, the combination of tivo companion doors movable in opposite directions, a rock arm mounted on one of said doors, a link conneet-ing the outer end of said arm with the companion door, operating means for moving said parts to a position where the doors are closet, lockin means for securing said operating means 1n adjusted position, and

BEST AVAILABLE cop.

means for simultaneously releasing' said operating means and initially moving said doors toward an open position.

o. A car having downwardlyr opening doors adapted to swing towar or away from each other to close or open respectively, an operating shaft mounted on the ear frame, means mounted on the oppositely disposed doors and independent of the car frame whereby the doors are locked in closed position independently of the shaft, and a connection between the shaft and said means whereby the latter are actuated and the doors operated, and means independent of the shaft for initially operating said means.

'i'. Operating mechanism for the doors of a hopper car whose free ends abut against each other when they are in closed position, comprising a rotatable shaft, means connected to oppositely disposed doors and so arranged that a portion of said means will move to one side of the )oint of connection between said means and one of the doors and into substantially the same horizontal plane as the point of connection between the means and the doors, thereby locking the doors in closed position, a yielding connection between said shaft and said means for drawing the latter into said locking position, and means operable independently of said shaft. for moving said means out of locking position.

8. Operating mechanism for the doors of a hopper car adapted to swing toward or away from each other to close or open, respectively, comprising means carried by and connecting oppositely disposed doors, said means being so arranged that when a portion thereof is moved to one side of the abutting or free ends of the door the latter will be locked in closed position, a rotatable shaft, and a yielding connection between said means and the shaft whereby the means are actuated and the doors brought. into closed position. and means operable independently of the shaft for moving said means prior to operation of the shaft to release the doors.

t). Operating mechanism for the downwardly swinging and oppositely disposed doors of a car, comprising mechanism pivotally secured to oppositely swinging doors, independent of the frame of the car arranged to swing to -one side of the longitudinal center of the car when the doors are being closed whereby the doors are locked and the pulling tendency of the doors exerted on each other through said mechanism, and a rotatable shaft having operative relation with said mechanism whereby the position of the latter is cont-rolled and the doors operated, securing means for the shaft, and means operable thereby for operating the said mechanism.

10. Operating mechanism for the downwardly swinging doors of a hopper car. comprising a pivoted member secured to each door, the members of oppositely disposed doors beinrr connected together and so arranged that tthe pointof connection between said members will be moved to one side of the pivotal point on the doors and in substantially the same horizontal plane whereby the doors are held in closed position independently of the car frame, means operatively connected with said members to control the position of said members and the doors, locking means for said means, and means operable with said locking means for initiall actuating said members.

11. car having gravity opening doors swinging in opposite directions, means pivotally secured to oppositely disposed doors, a point in said means intermediate 'of the ends being adapted to swing transversely of the car to either side of the pivotal connection of said means with one of the doors, the doors being held in closed position by said means when said intermediate point is swung transversely away from the longitudinal car center, mechanism having operative connect-ion with said means whereby the position of said intermediate point is controlled, and locking means for said mecha nism operatively connected to a means for initially moving said point toward the car center.

12. A car provided with downwardly opening doors arranged to swing toward and away from each otherl to close and open, rcspectively, means carried by the doors wherebiy the latter are automatically locked in c osed position, said means being so related to the doors when the latter are in closed position, that the oppositely disposed doors will exert. a pulling tendency on each other through said means, means carried by the ear frame having a yielding connection with the doors and with said first mentioned means whereby the doors are moved to closed position and the first mentioned means moved into locking position, and means operated independent-ly of said last. mentioned means for moving said first mentioned meansl out of locking position.

13. A car provided with downwardly opening doors arranged to swing toward and away from each other to close and open, respectively, link mechanism carried by the oppositely disposed doors whereby the position of the latter may he controlled, said link mechanism being so related to the doors when the latter are in closed position. that a pulling tendency will be exerted by the doors on each other through said mechanism. means carried by the car frame and oper-y atively connected with the link mechanism whereby the connections between the links and the doors may be brought into sublli stantally -the vsame horizontal lane and thereby lock the 'doors l-in ,close position, ndently .of vsaid rst` mentioned means -a apted: to engage 5 with sadllink mechanism V'co move the link connections out of said planennd allow the and .'means operable inde doors to open.

In testmon whereof I hereunto ax my si ature in t 1e resence of two witnesses, thls 26th da of anuary, 1912.

GE BGE C. CHERBONNIER. Witnesses:

OSCAR HOCHBERG, JAMES J. COOPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve centi each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

